Chapter 861: I Want All

Xiao Ningyuan glanced at Kui Yi and deliberately asked, "Mr. Mei Er, who is this?"

Mei Er said solemnly, "This is the Governor, Mr. Frederic Kui Yi."

Xiao Ningyuan cupped his hands toward Kui Yi and laughed, "Ah, it's the Governor! My apologies, my apologies!"

"I am Xiao Ye, a person from Jingcheng, making a living with small trade."

"I have long admired the Governor's prestige; to see you today is a great fortune."

Mei Er sat to the side, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Small trade? You spent several hundred thousand taels of silver in River Prefecture, and you still call that small trade?

Xiao Ningyuan looked at Cai Tong, full of sincerity: "Cai Tong, please convey my earlier words to the Governor, not missing a single word."

Cai Tong responded, translating his words into Holland language word for word.

Kui Yi then slowly lifted his eyelids, his gaze lingering on Xiao Ningyuan's face for a moment, then sweeping over the people beside him.

Kui Yi withdrew his gaze, slightly nodding his head toward Xiao Ningyuan as a return of the salute.

Xiao Ze took out two silk boxes from his bosom, placed them on the long table, and pushed them toward Xiao Ningyuan.

Xiao Ningyuan also produced a silk box from his pocket, placed it on the table, and gently pushed the three silk boxes toward Kui Yi.

He smiled broadly: "These are modest gifts, not meant as respect; I hope the Governor will accept them with a smile."

Cai Tong hurriedly translated it into Holland language.

Kui Yi's gaze fell on the several silk boxes; he slowly reached out and lifted the lid of the first one.

Inside lay a layer of dark red soft satin, on which rested a teacup.

The glaze was warm and smooth like jade, the body thin enough to be nearly translucent, and the cup faintly emitted a pale green light.

Kui Yi sat upright, reached out, and took the teacup from the box.

As his fingertip touched the glaze, a hint of astonishment flashed in his green eyes, impossible to conceal.

Mei Er could no longer restrain himself, leaning forward from his seat: "Let me have a look."

He extended both hands carefully, steadying the teacup.

He had seen many porcelain pieces, knowing well their exquisite qualities.

He gently lifted the teacup to eye level, examining it closely in the daylight by the window.

Light shone through the glaze, ice-crack patterns spreading like fine spiderwebs across the body, each line glowing with a faint silver sheen in the light.

The entire teacup glimmered faintly in his palm, like a thin jade vessel filled with sunlight.

"This, this is..." Mei Er's Zhongyuan speech faltered; he turned to look at Xiao Ningyuan, his eyes full of eagerness.

Xiao Ningyuan unfolded his folding fan and shook it leisurely: "This is a qingbai-glazed teacup, with a body as thin as paper, glaze like jade; only when held to the light does one see the ice-crack patterns beneath the glaze, making it a top-grade piece."

He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting: "Mr. Mei Er, forgive my frankness, but the porcelain you purchase in Jiangnan Region are merely ordinary utensils."

"Only what you hold now can be called a treasure among porcelain."

Mei Er nodded continuously upon hearing this: "Boss Xiao's goods, indeed..."

He racked his brains, his face full of sincerity, and praised: "Not a thing!"

Everyone: "……"

Kui Yi, not understanding Zhongyuan speech, frowned and looked at Cai Tong,

Cai Tong hurriedly translated their conversation word for word to him.

Mei Er treasured the teacup greatly, placing it back into its box, then glanced at the remaining two, his throat moving several times.

Kui Yi's expression visibly turned solemn.

He reached out and opened the second silk box.

Inside lay a layer of fine white velvet, upon which rested a necklace.

Thirty-six black pearls, each round and smooth, each the size of a thumbnail.

Though they appear black, they are actually a peacock-green base, overlaid with a purplish-gray sheen, like the sea before a storm, with fine light shimmering beneath the surface.

In the sunlight, the thirty-six pearls simultaneously emitted different hues—some leaning green, some purple, some shifting between green and purple, radiant and colorful.

Strands of red gold, as fine as a hair, were woven into an extremely fine braided chain, stringing the thirty-six black pearls together.

Each strand was even as water ripples, and between each pearl hung a small cloisonné flower of four-petaled clove, set between the black and red gold, exquisitely precious.

Gazing at such an exquisite and precious ornament, Mei Er's eyes nearly popped out.

Kui Yi's eyes burned with the fire of greed.

He snatched the necklace from the box, cradling it in his palm, and gently stroked the pendant.

The pendant was a teardrop-shaped pigeon's-blood ruby, vivid as blood, dazzling, its depths seeming to hold a flickering flame.

"My God!" he could not help exclaiming.

Xiao Ningyuan looked at Cai Tong: "What did he say?"

Cai Tong smirked: "The Governor is invoking their deity."

"Oh." Tuan Tuan blinked her big eyes: "He's chanting sutras!"

Cai Tong was taken aback: "... Close, close enough."

Mei Er reached out, wanting to take it for a look, but Kui Yi shoved the necklace back into the box and slammed the lid shut.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Mei Er's face.

Xiao Ningyuan pretended not to notice, then added fuel to the fire: "Only jewelry of this quality presented to the Governor can be truly deserved."

Seeing this, Cai Tong already understood what Xiao Ningyuan intended, smirked inwardly, and immediately translated the remark to Kui Yi.

Kui Yi lifted his head, his gaze toward Xiao Ningyuan completely changed, and he smiled, nodding.

He could not wait to open the third silk box.

Inside lay a square of silk cloth, neatly folded.

Kui Yi's face sank slightly; compared to the previous two items, this piece of brocade clearly disappointed him a bit.

Xiao Ningyuan gave a faint smile, took the brocade out of the brocade box, and unfolded it, spreading it between the two.

Mei Er and Kui Yi stared intently at that piece of brocade, and in an instant their eyes blazed with sharp light.

Every inch of the brocade was densely covered with red-gold silk threads; the candlelight made the whole piece look like a pool of molten gold, with light flowing and surging among the threads.

Upon the golden ground, multicolored weft threads were embroidered into a double-layered peony.

The petals were layered, using five shades of red—vermilion, scarlet, peach, pink, and silver-red—each layer a different hue, the boundaries blending naturally.

The flower's stamens were made of gathered gold thread, each bead raised and distinct.

Beside it, the leaves had a dark green base, emerald edges, tender green tips, and clearly visible veins.

The brocade lay thinly on the tabletop, its light and shadow mottled, as if a gorgeous peony had bloomed upon the surface.

Mei Er snatched up the brocade: "Is this also silk? I've never seen such fabric!"

"Such goods," Xiao Ningyuan said nonchalantly, "my family's storeroom still has plenty."

Kui Yi glanced sideways at Mei Er, snatched the brocade from his hand, shoved it into the brocade box, and snapped the lid shut.

Mei Er's hand felt empty; his fingers curled involuntarily, his expression exceedingly complex.

Kui Yi lowered his head to glance at the three brocade boxes before him, then waved at the Red-haired Barbarian soldiers on either side.

The soldiers set down their hand cannons, stamped their feet in unison, turned together toward the same direction, and marched out in large steps.

After they had all withdrawn, Kui Yi looked at Xiao Ningyuan with a beaming smile: "How much more of this goods do you have? I'll take it all."